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Wednesday night was a subdued and relaxed affair as a mix of younger stand-up comedians and older guys trying out new material packed the stage of the Dallas Comedy House to a healthy crowd at the 2012 Dallas Comedy Festival.

The audience was quieter than Tuesday night’s sold out room of exuberant guests. Momentum was hard to come by as the comics hustled to earn their laughs, a trial by fire that separated the experienced from the inexperienced.

If I was to name the theme of Wednesday’s subject matter, it would be marriage. Almost every comic seemed to have a bit about marriage or long term relationships. [pullquote_right] Josh Johnson in particular had an interesting take, tackling the unique perspective of being a 22 year old divorcee and launching into a rant about nitpicking that was one of my favorites of the night.[/pullquote_right]

Andrew Hamer kicked the night off nicely with a warm and enjoyable set that had the relaxed group cheering. Nic Pozderac followed and won me over quickly as a representative of absurdist humor, heavy on puns and playing up a wacky lumberjack persona. If I had to name someone in Dallas I’d want to hang out at a bar with the most, it would be this guy.

The raunchier comics had a bit more trouble getting the audience on their side but powered through nicely and earned their share of appreciation. Brad LaCour compared Match.com to “shopping on the clearance aisle of life.” Chris Darden, after losing the crowd with a muddled and confusing masturbation innuendo, deftly won them back when he mournfully intoned that he was “sick of J-Date.”[pullquote_left] Linda Stogner was an interesting departure from the general lineup of jaded young people with a decidedly traditional routine that showcased her decades in comedy. Her quaint naiveté and “gosh darn” delivery made me think of what would happen if Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire had a goofy niece. [/pullquote_left]

Tom Devenport, a Dallas native currently living in California, had a strong set that played on cultural differences and practical world outlooks that I enjoyed watching.

Chelsea Hood keenly keyed into the core of her personality to create a likeable set that felt like hanging out with your funniest high school friends.

The headliner of the evening, Dave Little, was a bit of a disappointment. At the beginning of the night, I was told by host Landon Kirksey and many others that Little is one of the funniest people in the Dallas comedy scene. However, he chose to fill his set with new material that had not been workshopped, leading to a mediocre performance that he sardonically called out, lightly harassing the audience for “dropping the ball.” I have seen this sheepish acknowledgment of one’s own failure on stage countless times, but Little was unable to handle it gracefully and it made me slightly uncomfortable.

Veronica Elizabeth, the only true out-of-towner on the night’s lineup, was my personal overall favorite. Like most of the night’s comics, her set dedicated a huge portion to the idiosyncrasies of her love life, but she pulled it off with such a delightfully quirky style that I found myself smiling the whole time.

Though Wednesday night was not as strong as Tuesday’s kick-off, the Dallas Comedy Festival continued to bring laughs that were well worth the money spent. The week now turns to sketch and improv and shows no chance of slowing down the laugh rollercoaster. Be sure to follow @ImprovWins on Twitter for live updates as the festival continues, check back here for daily recaps and interviews and for scheduling and info visit www.dallascomedyfestival.com.

(NOTE: Yesterday’s article contained a slight error. The short film festival is being held on Saturday evening at 7:30pm before shows begin. Visit www.dallascomedyfestival.com for more info.)